Team Preview
Photo by Don Rich
The concern for Carlisle at the start of the season was how the depth of the team would hold up after Noah and Sam Affolder. Would they have the guns to take down the best in the state?
The Herd has answered the call all season. Isaac Kole stepped to the plate as the third runner. He was sixth in District 3, beating some of the strong talent the district has to offer. On top of that, Jack Wisner was 24th overall, running a remarkable second half of his race to claim a medal. They won District 3 convincingly, but can they matchup against the other state talent?
Photo by Howard Anderson
Their biggest challenger, and the new favorite for Saturday is Council Rock North. The storied Council Rock program hasn't seen a title since 1999, before it split into North and South. Saturday will be CR North's best chance at a title. They were strong all season, but they came alive on Friday at the District 1 Championships, putting their top five in the first 21 spots. Their fifth man ran 16:00 on the quick Lehigh course. That performance was one of the best we've seen at District 1 from a team since 2013's West Chester Henderson. The question remains how they can handle the Hershey hills, but North looks very strong headed into Saturday.
The defending champs from Downingtown West should be in line for a high finish. The runaway 2015 winners lost its top three from that spectacular team last year (they took spots 2, 3, and 6 at the state meet), but the Whippets have rebuilt in a big way for 2016. Three members from that states team return. Shaun Bullock has led that team all season and weith some good depth, they will look to challenge for another big performance.
District 12 has been defined by the LaSalle-Cardinal O'Hara rivalry this season. O'Hara beat them at Briarwood, but LaSalle has had the upperhand since then, winning most notably at Foundation. They'll both matchup with the states best on Saturday and both will have their eyes on the top five or better.
District 3 is talented after Carlisle. Lower Dauphin was second at districts led by their powerful top three. Mechanicsburg and Manheim Central will be teams to watch for.
Photo by Phil Grove
Seneca Valley ended North Allegheny's historic WPIAL reign last week, and the upstart SV squad will look for big results on Saturday. Sam Owori, Trey Razanauskas, and Seth Ketler lead Seneca Valley, which took third at the Foundation Invitational, just two points off O'Hara. North Allegheny is still not a team to overlook with a tight gap and the potential for some states magic.
Central Bucks West is a strong team that took third at District 1. They have some good depth to make a good run on Saturday. State College, Lower Merion, and West Chester Henderson will be other teams to watch for.